Redbreast 15 Year Old Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey Arrives in U.S.

August 10, 2010

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New York, NY (August 10, 2010) – Pernod Ricard USA and Irish Distillers, makers of Jameson and Midleton Very Rare, Redbreast, Powers and Paddy Irish Whiskies, announce the arrival of Redbreast 15 Year Old Pot Still Irish Whiskey to the U.S. Beginning in September, this distinguished and awarded pure pot still whiskey – the only traditional Irish pot still whiskey available today – will be available for sale in select retail and on-premise outlets throughout the U.S.

“Redbreast is a very special unblended whiskey – triple distilled and made with malted and unmalted barley,” said Wayne Hartunian, Vice President Whiskey for Pernod Ricard USA. “Redbreast 15 Year Old is without doubt one of the finest expressions of whiskey making in Ireland – a true collector’s item – dubbed the “Irish Nectar” and chosen as Irish Whiskey of the Year 2007 by Jim Murray, Whiskey Connoisseur and publisher of Jim Murray’s renowned Whiskey Bible.”

The Redbreast brand and specifically Redbreast 12 Year Old, was first launched in 1939 as the brand name given to the pot still whiskey supplied by Jameson to whiskey bonders before bottling at the distillery became the norm in 1968. Stocks of whiskey in bonders’ stores petered out, and thus Redbreast all but disappeared until Redbreast 12 Year Old was re-launched by the distillery in the 1990s as a single pot still whiskey. Redbreast 15 Year Old pure pot still whiskey, the latest addition to the family, is distilled from malted and unmalted barley in traditional copper pot stills and matured for a minimum of 15 years in a combination of old Spanish Oloroso sherry casks and fresh American bourbon whisky barrels. Like all good whiskeys it is strongly flavored and assertive, making it a rare treat for the connoisseur of fine old whiskey.

Hartunian added, “There is no better time than now to introduce this exquisite pot still whiskey to the U.S. Market. Irish Whiskey is by far the fastest growing U.S. spirits category, growing at twice the rate of the next fastest category and possessor of the fastest growing premium spirit brand in the U.S. – Jameson*. While sales of Irish whiskey have more than doubled over the past 5 years there is still plenty of room for growth as the category is forecast to double again in size over the next five years**. Add to that the fact that sibling Redbreast 12 Year Old is experiencing double digit growth (+23% in past 3 months***) and you have the perfect market conditions to introduce Redbreast 15 YO.”Redbreast 15 Year Old will be available on and off-premise in select markets beginning September 1, 2010. The launch will be supported with custom designed sales and POS materials. Redbreast 15 Year Old will retail for a suggested price of $74.99/750ml.